Truly lovely home @Malagachica!!
We’re all rooting for you! It stings like crazy, I know. You’ll feel much better when you’re through it.
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Well, God bless you for being such a kind-hearted person. 
What a lovely place indeed. My mom (95) is from nearby Nerja, born 1921 in a little white house by the sea that is still standing there between new high-rise condominiums; my Dad (97) from Island of Majorca. I grew up in both places.
Keep us posted.
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Well I think you already know you handled this one badly.
We have always been clear to our family and friends.
My family and friends know that if they come in the busy season (for example during new year), they will have to pay full price, and they understand.
Outside the season, it depends, if they want a holliday and full service like our guests, they will have to pay and get some discount. If they come over as friends, take care of them selves and even help us with some chores, they mostly stay for free.
In your situation, I would have them stay for free.
The moment you said “yes”, you should have said, “normally it costs xxx .but we will give you big a discount”.
Now you let them believe that they were invited.
@Malagachica Sorry for the late reply! We did the same thing last year in July in Barça (what was I thinking $$$!!!). I had to let it go bc it was family, but I did curtail their plans of staying for 3 weeks and told them only 7 days were free. Going forward we have a strict NO friends/family/home exchange policy during hign season March-September. I will only make an exception for @Mearns or anyone else with a private island 
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Oh, there is one exception, occasionally we do a swap with some other hosts.
We stay a week at their place for free, and they stay a week at our place. We both only pay tourist tax.
I forgot to mention we go as far as telling friends/family during the high season ‘no discount’ but if they want to come in low season instead all they need to pay is cleaning fee. We really try to discourage them bc (as you know) we have a limited time frame to make $$ and I could never accept full price from F&F. If people are pasaing through for a nignt in between summer rentals we will of course offer our flat, but only if it’s convenient/we cant book the nignt.
Eeeeekk. Did you already emaili them? I wouldn’t allow them use of your second car. That could cause even more problems. What if they accidentally wreck it and your insurance goes up?
Anyway, another thing to consider in general as hosts (not just in this case) is if so called “friends” are actually coming to visit you, or if they are just coming to you because the accommodation is free.
I have one friend who visits me every few years and she specifically comes to see just me. So any host should ask themselves one questions before even offering a discount: “would this friend spend money on plane tickets just to visit me even if I happened to live in a tent?” If the answer is no, then no discount.
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Hello Chris: look into mytwinplaces, which broadens that idea. I signed up a while ago, but so far have not received any request over it. Perhaps with time it will get more popular.
@Malagachica…you are not alone. I totally forgot of a similar situation I got into last year.
I meet a nice enough couple two years ago while on an airport line in Chicago; we got to talking, he fishes and I have a great fishing spot. First is they will come down and book via AirBnB, next they rather stay in town and we fish together, next after ~I opened my big mouth~ and tell them I got a few days open and they can use the island which they took me up on it in an instance. They stayed the whole open week, they didn’t want to leave because ‘loved it so much’; meantime they ‘contributed’ for one lousy tank of gas out of many burned ($22US) the entire time.
Lately, they been telling me how much they loved it and are dying to know what days are again ‘available’ (aka stay for free) this year. I refereed them to the AirBnB calendar which shows ZERO days for almost 2 years. ‘Bummer’. End of that little fiasco. Lesson learned, never again. The best words are oftentimes the ones not said.
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What a beautiful place. And good for you for confronting the issue! I hope it will save not only some money, but also your friendship
Will do … have put off emailing till late tomorrow as I have a big concert tomorrow afternoon and don’t want to have to deal with it before then!
Again, very grateful for all the support/comments/advice!
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So true brook2adks - I constantly have to resist reacting when husband’s friends say ‘oh I hear you’re running a little Airbnb business out the back’ with the tone of voice that you use for a small child that’s just told you they’re off to do some fingerpainting!
I work hard at my Airbnb - constantly adjusting prices, comparing where my occupancy is with competitors, cleaning like a navvy and corresponding with prospective guests as you would in any business situation. This ‘little Airbnb business out the back’ supplements our income considerably and provides us with things we otherwise couldn’t afford.
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Isn’t it great, @Wilburforce, that we have each other to talk about such things? None of my friends ‘get it’, or so it seems to me. So I’m glad I can chat with people who do.
Yes, to me, it is a serious business, also. I haven’t invested all this time, money, and emotional energy for it to be a hobby.
@Kir sty_Jane --YOUR’S IS THE BEST ANSWER OF ALL!! RE:
You could also play the opps silly me card
"Forgot to give you the link to our Airbnb page … Can you book through there? I need a few more good reviews … Of course I’ll give you a discount "
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Again, doctors do not give free consulations–you make an appointment and pay the fee if you want his services.
If you own and operate a Bed & Breakfast, you do not give it out for free, unless they are close close family (or your best friend perhaps). Anyone else gets to pay! There I said it. That said, if the your personal guests want to sleep in your room or living room or tent in the back…then maybe okay…but there is still all that laundry–guests should be limited to what ever time you feel most comfortable and fair to you!
Lol thanks @taratree Its was just a thought - not every one can pull that. I’m always forgetting stuff so could pull it off easily ha
Nerja? Small world @Mearns, I lived in Frigiliana, Canillas and Herradura for 15 years. Do you have a link? @Malagachica, fabulous place. I love Malaga! What’s your maximum stay period? PM me if you prefer.
It is a small coastal white house on a cliff. The last time we were there, we visited the house, 2 older ladies totally dressed in black were coming out, my mom asked who died, they said an aunt; when she asked when, they said 7 years ago! They were still in mourning. Tiny world but so different.
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Also not to sound harsh, but are these even friends you have met in person? Not to discount friends you have met online but if you turned them down and they got mad, and you never spoke to them again, who really cares? As someone mentioned, would true and caring friends really impose on you this way?
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